How To Declutter Toys

Too many toys can be a real source of overwhelm for parents.

One minute you have your home that you share with your other half. You know the one; your stuff, their stuff, your combined stuff. It’s pretty manageable. Just how you like it. Then before you know it, the baby arrives.

Why Do We Have So Much?

If you’re anything like me, you can look around at your house and wonder where on earth all these toys came from. It wasn’t an intentional choice. Over time, they somehow entered our house and stayed.

We end up with too many toys for a few reasons:

We are given them. This might be hand-me-downs, presents or a gift for no reason. These are well intended but can add to the overwhelm. I have heard relatives say, ‘toys are just so cheap now!’ They are far cheaper than they used to be when their children were little. They find it exciting to buy toys to gift for such a low price. The problem is that cheap toys often break more easily. It contributes to landfill. Children feel frustrated that they don’t work properly or end up in the bin. I don’t want to be seen as a grinch but deep down I really don’t need extra inventory to manage.
We can’t resist a bargain. I know I’ve been guilty of this. I see a bargain at an op shop that is too good to pass buy. I see a special at the department store. I see a sale online. The idea of saving money and being a savvy shopper gives my brain a shop of dopamine. I feel excited. There’s a thrill at getting a great deal.
They are free. Perhaps there is a free box of toys in the op shop or on your local Buy Nothing Group. Maybe they came home with a Happy Meal, they won a prize from school, from a lolly bag or a supermarket collection. These free toys add to the clutter in the home.
More seems like a good idea. We think that if we have enough toys, our children will play better. If we have the right type of toy or more of it, it will reduce the fighting.

How does it change as your children grow?

Once you have a baby, your house seems to fill up with stuff. Some of the practical items can’t be helped. It’s just part and parcel of parenting. It serves a purpose for the stage you are in. It makes getting out of the house easier. It is needed for safety.

The trouble is, your house continues to fill up. You have a lot of stuff and then the baby gets Christmas presents or turns one. Throw in hand-me-downs, op-shop bargains and well-meaning aunties and grandparents. More stuff. Colourful, noisy, plastic toys everywhere and more clothes than days to wear them.

As they get older and more siblings come along, the clothes and gadgets and toys often get out of control. More toys than we can handle.

Don’t get me wrong. Most parents are so grateful for these things as it shows us that people care and it saves us money on buying it all ourselves.

What Happens When We Have Too Much Stuff?

When we have too much stuff, we start to feel overwhelmed. For many mothers or the stay at home parents, the clutter can stress them out. It can become too much.

We can already feel behind with the washing piles and unwashed dishes, the what’s for dinner dilemma and what birthday cake to cook, the piles of paper on the bench, the unread emails and messages, the dirty shower we never get around to cleaning and the empty photo albums we need to one day fill.

There’s already so much going on in our brain, too many tabs open. When we see toys spread over the floor and chaos surrounding the house, it can be the tipping point.

When children are presented with too many toys, they can feel overwhelmed too. Young children tend to pull something out, play with it briefly, and then do the same with the next one. Toys can become projectile weapons. Children dump the toys out of the basket rather than delve into deep, imaginative play.

Does it have to be this way?

When there is mention of clutter and children, it is often an assumption that the two go together. It’s just how it is. Children come with stuff. You just have to learn to live with it.

I disagree. While of course you will have a certain amount of stuff when you have children, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

Since becoming a parent, I have learnt that the fewer toys that are in sight, the calmer I feel. Fewer toys can reduce the overwhelm for the child. They don’t need too much choice about what to play with.

Here are 9 tips for reducing the toys:

1. Avoid noisy, battery-operated toys

Most children love noisy toys. They are fun and exciting. They are often colourful and make fun noises and sounds. The trouble with these toys is that they add to the noisy environment and contribute to the overwhelm. Batteries are another thing to manage and change. They can limit creativity in young children.

There’s nothing wrong with having a few noisy, battery-operated toys in your home. I would simply suggest that these aren’t the only type of toys you own. Try to source open-ended toys that encourage imaginative play. Your child should be the boss of the toy and tell it what it is and what it can do. This makes for a quieter environment for you and your children and less cost and hassle spent replacing dead batteries.

2. Opt for fewer dress ups

Children love to dress up as their favourite characters and heroes. My boys love superheroes, particularly Spider-Man. They were given some costumes and we have found some at local op shops.

We own an assortment of dress-up costumes, accessories and different pieces of fabric. I love watching my boys use their imagination to become all sorts of characters and create different worlds. Consider filling a box with various scarves, hats, jackets and fabric. Look for ones with different colours, textures and sizes. Put some away and have a smaller amount out for everyday use. You can rotate the other items every so often. It can be so fun to watch your child use their imagination to become whoever they want to be, fully immersed in their play.

3. Less plastic, more natural materials

We only have to walk through Kmart to see the enormous range of toys. There is so much that we can buy our children and that is gifted to them. Much of this ends up broken, unused or unwanted in landfill. It’s a real problem.

The older I get, the more I am aware of my environmental footprint. It’s important to me to consume less and consume more ethically. I try to avoid buying new plastic toys where possible, instead opting for second hand from op shops, buying from Facebook Marketplace or from our local Buy Nothing group.

I love buying more natural materials such as wood. These are more beautiful to touch, lovingly created and much better for the environment. Where possible, opt for high-quality toys with good craftsmanship. These last the test of time and can be a better investment for your money.

In saying that, during Covid I bought a bunch of expensive wooden toys. They were gorgeous and I got a little carried away. I had visions of my boys playing with these together and creating imaginary worlds. In reality, they preferred their Fireman Sam and Paw Patrol toys. Most of the expensive toys I sold. I kept the Grimms rainbow but whenever I bring it out from our toy rotation, it gets thrown across the room. I don’t know why, it just does. Aesthetic toys don’t appeal to every child. It’s best to take notice of what they do play with and go with that rather than trying to get them to play with what you want to. I know I’ve learnt my lesson.

4. Model decluttering your excess things

Children watch what we do and try to copy us. When we model sorting through our own belongings, the notice. Regularly go through your clothes, shoes, jewellery, books, kitchenware and paperwork. Talk aloud about how you are feeling and the thought process. Mention things like how you don’t need this anymore, you already have two, I don’t really like this now, I prefer the pink ones, etc. Children long to imitate us, so demonstrate how you like to keep your belongings to a minimum.

When we model this decluttering process for ourselves, it can help our children learn to part with their toys. It isn’t easy letting go of our belongings. It provides a healthy example of how to manage the stuff in our lives. Involving children in the process gives them the confidence and skills needed to go through their toys, with support.

5. Toy rotation

Rotating toys can be a useful strategy to keep the overwhelm at bay. Most likely, your children will have more toys than space to store them. They also get bored with the same things. Start by selecting a few key toys to display on your cubes or shelves, and make sure you have a few different types. Consider items like blocks, magnetic tiles, scarves or dress ups, animals, cars, trucks, train tracks, dolls and puzzles.

Put the rest away in a different room or hidden from view in a cupboard. Some favourites might always be out. For us, matchbox cars, Lego, Duplo, and magnetic tiles are always displayed and played with. Have a regular time every week or two to switch these around. Sometimes I do this with the help of our children and other times I do it while they are in bed.

6. Get children involved

Where possible, allow your children to be involved in the process. Let them choose what to donate to the op shop and which ones they would like to sell. Teach children the value of money by asking them to choose a price (within reason), take photos, write the description, and then collect the money. My three-year-old loves this process and happily runs to put his earnings into his jars.

Sometimes I offer to buy a toy from my child. Dawn from The Minimal Mom suggested this. It’s a handy way to help your child declutter a toy, especially if it is unsuitable for sale. This works particularly well for annoying toys that you really would like gone from your house. When we have these conversations with our children and they decide to sell it, it builds trust. They know that we won’t secretly get rid of their special toys.

7. Make Gift Giving Intentional

Part of decluttering toys is making a plan to avoid more coming back into your home. Create a list of gift ideas for your son or daughter’s upcoming birthday or Christmas. This could include ideas of clothing pieces and their current size, toys on their wish list, money towards a bigger item (such as a trampoline) or an experience (to the movies, zoo, drive in, waterpark, bowling, etc).

This doesn’t mean people must get something off the list and it won’t work for all families. However, if you have taken the time to put ideas together, and people are insisting on buying annoying plastic toys, you don’t have to keep them. Quietly exchange it or give it to someone else. You get to choose what comes into your house.

8. Fiver Parties

Birthday parties often mean lots of gifts. This is exciting for the birthday child. Less so for the parent who needs to manage all the stuff and find places for all the new items. If you are concerned about the huge amount of gifts about to come in, consider making it a fiver party.

Add a note in the invite that guests can bring $5 instead of a present. You could mention that your child is saving up for a bike or Lego set, and would love it if you wanted to contribute to this. Always stress that this is optional, but many parents jump at the chance to spend less on presents and not have to go shopping for another party.

With inflation and the rising cost of living, a fiver might not quite cut it these days. Perhaps a tenner would be more appropriate or some other amount that you decide on.

9. Utilise The Toy Library

Toy libraries are fabulous. Many local libraries offer a toy library as part of their service. Some are free but most charge a small annual fee (ours charge $35 per year). The size of the toy library and the cost varies depending on where you live. It is a great initiative for parents to buy fewer toys. This helps save money and reduce consumption.

They stock a huge range of toys for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children. They have musical instruments, puzzles, dress-ups, outdoor toys and party hire. You can find out more about toy libraries and search for one near you.